Provinces Press Ottawa To Become Full Partner

Health Minister Jamie Muir and his provincial and territorial counterparts presented an interim report to Prime Minister Jean Chretien today on the factors causing the rapid increase in the cost of health care.

"We've presented this interim report to the Prime Minister today outlining the financial pressures facing Canada's health care system now, and in the future," said Mr. Muir.

"It's extremely difficult for us to sustain our health care system at a quality level when the federal government only provides 12.5 per cent of our costs. When medicare was introduced, the federal government paid 50 per cent of the cost of insured services. We are asking Ottawa to become a full partner again and provide us with adequate and predictable funding."

The interim report, Understanding Canada's Healthcare Costs, was prepared at the request of the premiers. It predicts future cost increases and documents the fiscal pressures that provincial and territorial health systems have been under during the past number of years.

"Ottawa's responsibility for health is far greater than its financial contribution would indicate," said Mr. Muir. "This responsibility must be adequately reflected in their health care funding to us."

"We're working hard to find effective and economical ways to deliver quality services, but we need greater participation by Ottawa to ensure that our system will be sustainable in the future. Each province and territory is faced with rising health care costs, and these costs will be difficult to manage without a significant increase in federal contributions to our systems."

The report is available on the Department of Health website at www.gov.ns.ca/health